flower

A Tiny Seed

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.                   Luke 17:6 ESV

If you are a little like me, you probably find yourself sometimes praying “Lord please, give me more faith!” When we feel like we are drowning in a sea of fear and we try grasping at straws floating on the water’s surface. But our good news for today is that Jesus did not require us to have a large quantity of faith. In fact during His time on earth,

Jesus seemed to take special delight in people who struggled to believe. After watching the Lord multiply bread for five thousand men the disciples got worried when they ran out of bread in their boat. He sat and talked to a woman by a well who probably never darkened the doors of her synagogue. He healed a man’s son after the father confessed his unbelief and made a special appearance for Thomas when he refused to believe the others about the resurrection. Imported from phone 065

So on nights when it feels like you are going under for the third time remember that our Lord loves to walk out on the water in the middle of storms. He came for the widow, the orphan and the poor. Jesus is moved when we pray with even a tiny seed of faith. When we trust the heart of God we will discover that He is ready to move anything blocking our path and help our faith to flower no matter where we are planted!

 

What Does He See?

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What does God see when He looks at our heart? Does He see a cluttered heart, brimming with activities but with little time for Him?

Does He catch us off guard while we are manipulating our situation and those around us to reach our goals.

Will He notice a secret sin that we have hidden from every other eye but His. And all the while we have struggled to look good on the outside we are missing His offer to cleanse us on the inside by the blood of Jesus Christ.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7 NKJV

The color of the Flower

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But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
John 5:47

This Mother’s day Azalea was planted at our friend’s house almost 50 years ago. While it is amazing both in it’s beauty and size, what is also curious is the azalea on the neighbor’s side of the fence. It has seen the same sunshine and rain and while also pretty it is only about half the size. The difference is not about its circumstances but about its connection to the soil.

In the same way we who are tested by storms, droughts and harsh winters can bloom at our Father’s doorstep. Our living relationship with Him means both believing what He has spoken in the past along with listening to what He is saying today. God’s written word is a signpost pointing to Christ. The Pharisees were intent on learning all about the post but were not ready to follow it to Jesus. Staying in a living connection to God’s word means more than just knowing every line. A relationship with Him also means listening to what He is saying today. That connection is what makes us grow and gives beauty to the color of the flower!